Ram Skull
by Hard Skul
Summary: one man's greed, and one man's rage that shook the earth to the core. Ramskull fight's for something no mear mortal knows.
1. Act I

Ram-skull

**Act I**

By Edward Ambriz

Long, long ago in the untold days of the middle ages lived a heartless, cowardly king with an army of enormous proportions at his disposal, but this story is not of the king, but of his bravest, most skilled and powerful soldier in his army, I am that soldier.

In a war with me there is no victory, only death. No glory, only death. No hope, only death. No mercy, only...death.

Outside the kingdom walls, was a noble knight on a radiant white stallion he stands on the edge of the mote and waits for the gatekeeper. "Who goes there?" asks the gate-keeper, "no worry, it's just me." says the knight as he removes his helmet. "Oh, good, I thought we'd lost you," says the gatekeeper with a sigh of relief, "what news you bring of Kasa?" he asked right away. "Not very good news, I'm afraid." said the knight, scratching his head full of shining blond hair, his hair glimmers so marvelously it looks as if it where made of the purest gold. "That's too bad," said the gatekeeper "you know how foul-tempered that brat-of-a-king we have is." he continued. "Yes, and he really hates bad news." said the knight with growing concern. "May you go with Gods protection, you'll need It.," said the gatekeeper as he let the gate down and let the knight pass on through.

"I bring news from Kasa, my lord, King Luk has fallen and we may be next." said the knight fearfully as he feels the large, beastly guards surround him. "That is bad news, I don't like bad news." said the king rising from his throne. "Please, King David, you cannot blame me for--" said the knight before the king interrupted him "I was speaking! You know what happens to people who give me bad news." said the king as he signaled the guards to move in. "b-but I have s-served you my whole life. I've killed countless people in your name!" screamed the knight as he realized that his life was about to come to an end, tears streaming down his face.

The king was a slender man. He had no physical strength; he has never had to use it. He only had power over his people like a normal tyrant. He was very paranoid, as was the nature of his family. His father was mysteriously murdered in his sleep. A guard was blamed, he was decapitated before he had a chance to defend himself. His father was no better then he was, only smarter and less power hungry. He has four boys and seven daughters. He used to keep all four boys and only the second oldest daughter since she is the most beautiful. The rest he left to broken homes, he doesn't even know what house he left them in. Two of them are whores whom the king has ravaged more then once, the oldest is trying to win her fathers affection, but to no avail. The rest are already married at twelve, thirteen, and fifteen. The boys are in better shape but are still not in their right minds. The oldest of all of his children is heir to the throne and is the most intelligent and not as feeble as his father, his two youngest sons are dead, they killed each other trying to get the heir ship to the throne. The second oldest is a solder in his army; he is the most noble of all his children.

The guards now surrounded the noble solder, like vultures around a slowly rotting corpse. One of the guards bashed the knight with a crushing blow that knocked him off his feet. Then, one by one, the guards struck with their mighty swords cutting the knight to chunks, the smell of fresh blood hung in the air, like mist in the bay, the guards did their job in a matter of seconds, they where done and were dripping with blood. The royal adviser was in utter shock; he wore a blue garb, and a strange looking hat.

"My God," said the royal adviser "David your heartless!" "Well," replied the king "if forcing people out of their lands, raping their women, and forcing them into slavery is what you call 'heartless' well I guess I am heartless, Jack." "My lord," said the adviser "Emperor Philip is ruthless, his army is five times mightier then yours and has taken out our allies one by one, if and when he takes over he will have everyone in the kingdom slaughtered." "But," the king said as he walked to the window by his throne. "I have a secret weapon; we have something... or should I say someone?" Jack the adviser froze for a second, his face turned pale and as he spoke he whispered "No, your not thinking about--", "Yes, its time for Ram-skull to see the light of day." said the king with a sinister grin on his face. "You do not know what he is capable of, my lord. I've seen it myself what the monster can do. I saw him in our last war. Covered with blood. I'm the only witness to what he has done, leaving the blood-scorn battlefield ablaze, sword at hand, it was the most gruesome sight I have ever seen." said the adviser, still traumatized over the hellish vision of Ram-skull thirty years ago. "I forbid it, you cannot do it." King David laughed out loud, "I have never heard of an adviser give the orders in a kingdom," he then stopped laughing "do it again and I'll have your tongue cut out, Ram-skull will be let out, he will go to war, and he will bring us victory, and if you have a problem with it you will not work for me." said the king. "Fine, then I quit." said the adviser quickly. "Sorry Jack, but it doesn't work that way. You know too many secrets about me." said the king as he signaled the guards to close in on him. "No, please, I changed my mind, let Ram-skull out, please, no!" screamed the adviser, trying to reason with the king, but to no avail. "Fine, you can kill me, but mark my words, Ram-skull will be the reason your kingdom will fall and there will be no one left to hear you scream for your life you coward." "Silence, I will let no man speak to me that way, not even a dying one, kill him now and put his head on a stalk to send a message to the people, let them know who's in charge." The guards did as they were told and gave the adviser a quick, painless death.

King David II walked down the hall and a guard approached him, "my lord." Said the guard

"Yes, what is it?" said King David.

"Your eldest daughter wants a word with you."

"What does Courtney want now?"

"Not Courtney, Angelica."

"Her again, tell her that if she bothers me again today she can expect her foster parents dead by dusk."

"Yes sir."

"Now leave me with my son." He said as he approached his son. "Alex my son, you are my new adviser." He said to his son, Alex. "Me father?" he said as he put down a book he was reading.

Alex was his father's son, skinny and pale, but he was bigger and much smarter. His mother was the princess of a kingdom near by David's own, when they married their kingdoms united and King David made his move. He kidnapped her father and said if she didn't bear his children he would execute him. Nine months later Alex was born. When she recovered from the pregnancy she stole the keys to the dungeon and tried to free her father, but when she got there all she found where his skeletal remains. After that she committed suicide by jumping into the mote. After that David had only bustard children from the women in his own country.

"Yes, you are my oldest and wisest son, and heir to the throne. You need to know how to run the kingdom." said the king, putting his arm over his son as a bird would put a hatchling under his wing. "Not to sound ungrateful, father, but what happened to Jack?" said Alex. "He was insubordinate so I had him executed." said the king not even giving it another thought except one. "I have been wanting to do it for some time. I just wanted to give him a second chance before I did it." The son looked at him mortified "But, Jack was your brother." said Alex as he looked at his father with new eyes; King David's reaction was not a pleasant one. He grabbed his son and slapped him with the back of his hand, although he wasn't strong his hand was very bony and it felt like being hit by a skeleton. "A king knows no blood ties, except his queen and first-born son, why else do you think I let your brother become a knight? I had him killed just this morning." hissed the king in his sons face, his hot, foul breath made his son gag. "Now," continued the king, "let us pay a visit to Ram-skull." Alex cut King David off in his path and looked at him with wide eyes. "Ram-skull, you mean 'The Demon of the Red Sky'?" whispered Alex in a terrified voice, "The very same." answered the king with a sinister grin, once again, but this time he has a trickle of sweat down his face, sweat of fear.

'The Demon of the Red Sky' is a name that they gave Ram-skull. As they say, he came to the kingdom on foot while the sky was as red as the darkest blood. He went to war with armies by the thousands and promises of victory, but came back by himself and victorious, and that time he came back the sky was an even darker red then the day he arrived. King David I feared Ram-skull very much, every time he and Ram-skull met the king soiled himself. He accused him of killing the army and locked him in the dungeon to rot. (The normal punishment for treason was death, but David I was very sure he couldn't be killed.) Then again that was thirty years ago.

As King David II and his son Alex went to the dungeon to see Ram-skull, they asked two armed guards to accompany them, as they both feared him very much, at that time there were very few who didn't. They entered the dank pit; the smell of feces loomed in the air and made them gag until they could taste the vomit in their mouth. The sound of squeaking and hissing made by the rats was defining. When you looked down you could barley see the ground, and it was not uncommon to step on a rat or two before you left the dungeon. At the bottom of the pit you saw a man in Greek armor, the man was shrouded in shadow, the only part visible was a helmet shaped as a ram's skull. (Hints the name 'Ram-skull) "Rise for your king." said one of the guards, who's voice had quite a quiver of fear in it. He did not rise. "Rise Ram-skull," said king David, "we must speak."

Ram-skull rose quickly and let out a loud roar-like yell, silencing all the rats. He then looked at David. "David," he said as he removed his face plat, shaped like a skull; the helmet had the horns. "I see you finally killed your father." as if mocking the king.

Ram-skull was a monster, he stood six and a half feet tall, his sword was enormous, as heavy as a castle wall and as sharp as a razor, his skin was as pale as an eggshell, and his hair was as black as the shadows of night. His muscles where as hard as steel, his voice was deep and bass-toned with a slight rasp to it, his eyes where the strangest part of him, they seem to have been blank and turned red when he got mad. He was very intimidating. "It is King David II now. And as you might have guessed I want you to fight." said David to Ram-skull. "How did you do it?" asked Ram-skull ignoring the king's wishes, "Did you use a sword, dagger, mace, ax?" he continued. "I didn't kill him." said the king. "I believe you, you would have to be a man to kill someone yourself." he said with a grin.

"I don't fear you like my father did," said king David, "will you do it or not?" "But, you still fear me." said Ram-skull with a smirk on his face. "Yes, I'll do it," he said wiping the smirk off his face, "under two conditions, I want to go with your best men only, and I command the battle." his face was more serious and colder then ice. "Done." said King David with a face full of sweat.

The next day Ram-skull and other people had a meeting of the Emperor Philip problem. The meeting was held in the castle with David, Alex, Joel, the kings most loyal duke and former commander of king David's armies, and Theodore, another messenger that tries to find out as much about Philip as possible. David, Alex, Theodore and Joel sat down to talk. "Alright, first on the agenda, Joel, your no longer commander of my army, just a general." said king David. "May I ask why, my lord?" asked Joel. "Yes, I got someone new to do it, come in." said King David and in came Ram-skull with his armor polished and his beard trimmed. "The Demon!" shrieked Joel and Theodore, Theodore about to draw his sword, "No, no. Down." said Alex, calming them down. "If your finished trying to play hero, I'd prefer to get to business." He took a sideways glance at Theodore. "What news you bring soldier?" roared Ram-skull to Theodore, "Hail King David and his son prince Alex." said Theodore as he stood saluting David and Alex "Philip has declared war upon us as of yesterday." He finished. "What did he do?" asked David. "He set fire to the territory in Italy we owned, the one that had all those slave whores from Ethiopia." he said "Damn, they maid good wine, not to mention I was growing quite fond of them. " David said. "This calls for war!" he continued "Their on their way here." said Theodore remorsefully. "Why didn't you say that before?" said Joel. "I know how they're going to attack; they will come at the pass and the back behind the mountains to catch us off guard. The army itself will be split in half, a strong army and a weak army. The strong army will come behind and the week army from in front, both will come in numbers and will put up a good fight." said Ram-skull. "How do you know this?" asked Alex. "In the dungeon I hear all your whispers; Theodore told his wife last night before they consummated." he said as all who where in the room where wide eyed and thought of all the things they did in the castle that where private and personal.

"We shall send troops." said Joel. "That would be my job," said Ram-skull, starting to get upset. "I will send troops." he continued. "How many?" asked David. "Pardon me, my lord, but may I intrude for just a moment?" asked Joel. "Go right ahead." said David. Joel then turned to Ram-skull and smiled, Joel has a superiority complex. If some one did him wrong in front of others he would nearly stop at nothing to humiliate them to the full extent of his power, the only person he has let get away with disrespecting him is King David. "Why would he send his strong army of troops to the mountains and not his week ones?" Joel continued "In the dungeon I hear all, survivors of the countries that Philip has conquered have said he does a two pronged attack to catch them off guard. And as for the armies being split in two, the strong army goes though the mountains because more of them will live threw it, but in order for that to happen the army must pack light. The weaker army will be heavily armed and not have much trouble going threw the pass..." said Ram-skull quickly, "and if you question my authority again you will know true fear." he continued, as his blank eyes seemed to turn red. "As I said, how many?" asked David "I should think four or five thousand should do rather nicely." said Alex. "Hardly, five others will do, your five strongest men." intruded Ram-skull.

"Five!" screamed Joel, "I'll admit no one at this table wants to see you die more then me but that's over kill--" in the middle of his sentence Ram-skull interrupted "Silence!" he barked. "All I need is you five best men, I promise I will return victorious." King David looked at them all and then at the rabid beast, Ram-skull, "Very well." Said David. As they all left Joel and Ram-skull where among the last to leave and Ram-skull gave Joel a mean and dirty look then he started starring the vindictive man down, Joel was petrified. Ram-skull then made a quick movement that made Joel flinch; Ram-skull laugh in a dark and sinister way. They gave him what he wanted and the next day at dawn him and the guards that protected him to the back of the mountains. "Hear me men, one of the men will go back from Philips army and tell them what happened here. We let him live to tell the tale of slaughter. Then we go on the offensive in a few days." yelled

Ram-skull, nearly scaring the men to death. "What do you think of that barbarian?" asked one guard. "I think he's not human, he doesn't sleep or rest he barley eats or drinks, and I find it disturbing that he loves the smell of the mutton when we cook it, but when he eats it he chokes it down as if it was poison." answered the second guard. "Maybe he's a god." answered a third guard "'maybe he's god'! I highly disagree." said the first guard. "No you fool, maybe he's a god, a Greek god like all those in Greece a few centuries ago. Think about it, he loves the smell of mutton but despises the taste of it, he doesn't sleep or rest and he has a very bad--" once again, Ram-skull interrupts "They're here!" he yelled, at the sound of his voice the men jumped to their feet.

There they where, five or six hundred of them came from the edge of the mountain, large, bulky men, ugly as dogs and strong as lions. At the sight of the enemy the five men drew their swords and stepped forward to fight. Ram-skull got the closest one to the other army and pushed him to the ground. "Stand back fool, this is my fight," he said as he got ready to charge, "my war, MINE!" he yelled as he ran to the other army like a goring bull. "I don't care if he is a legend, he's mad, he can't take on the entire army by himself!" the third guard said as he watched in horror.

Ram-skull charged and began to fight, leaving no throat un-slashed, and no head on its shoulders, leaving no man alive. He put his sword away and gave out blood curdling laughter as he smashed heads and broke necks, push in ribs and ripped out organs. Breaking people in half, using their own swords and spears against them. He did it with his bear hands. He ripped off their limbs and beat them to death with them. He ripped out pointy bones and stabbed them. The men watched in horror as Ram-skull took pleasure in this blood bath. He now made fist and started to swing, his punches were like cannon balls, blowing up anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path. Intestines splattered everywhere. He sliced people in half and cut their heads off with an open hand.

Finally only one man was left alive and begging for his life. "Please, don't kill me like you did my friends, my brothers, you have already broke me, I beg of you." pleaded the dying soldier. "You dare call yourself a warrior, a true soldier should be willing to die for his king, you don't disserve to live. It pleases me to put such a cowered out of your misery." barked Ram-skull as he pulled him in half, from the neck down to his pelvis, his two halves gushing blood. Ram-skull then turned to his five men and walked toward them, "My god, you are a demon!" said the fourth guard, drawing his sword like the others. "'Demon of the red sky' is more on the lines of what your people call me, is it not?" said Ram-skull. "No, he's Satan himself, come to destroy Gods creation." said the fifth, taking a step back. "What are you babbling about?" said Ram-skull, "I'm not your beast." he continued. "Are you a monster sent from below?" asked the first one, heavily shaking in fear. "In some ways, yes." he replied as he stopped and grazed a sword with his foot. "Stop speaking in riddles." yelled the second in a fit.

Ram-skull then flung the sword with his foot it flew to the solder and cut the first ones head off and slashed the neck of the soldier standing behind him. A spear caught his eye, he then launched it with tremendous force, it hit the third one so hard he flew with it and clashed with the mountain, on contact with the mountain he came apart. Before the others had time to react he got the arrows from an archer's quiver and threw them with his bear hands, instantly attaching themselves to the fourth, blood squirting every where. There was now only one left and Ram-skull was only yards away. He looked to the ground and pulled the sword from the back of a fallen solder and in a swift movement, pinned him to the mountain. "As you can see I am more then just a monster," he said as he towered over the guard that was covered with the blood of a noble knight, just a few days ago. Ram-skull threw him to a rock where he knelt, "I am a god!" he said as he thruster the sword in his back into the rock beneath him.

As Ram-skull looked at the battlefield, he seemed to take a deep sniff of the blood-drenched war-zone and it seemed he liked the smell, the smell of blood was so thick that any normal man would vomit or cover his face. He, on the other hand, delighted in the sent, he was mesmerized by it, he smelled it well enough, for he was drenched in blood, but it was also everywhere, he stood in the middle of a crimson sea. Slowly and suddenly his face changed. His skin became somewhat scaly and his eye sockets blackened, his teeth sharpened and his hearing defend he could only hear his breathing which only depend. Out of nowhere he heard a vulture's call, but he paid little attention to it. And then he heard a voice that gave him a different type of rage, one deeper and more hateful and spiteful then any known to men. Upon hearing it he changed to his human-like form.

"Careful, you wouldn't want to be yourself." said the voice, Ram-skull turned and upon laying eyes on him he drew his sword. "Good work Permithicles," it said again "or should I say 'Ram-skull'." it said mockingly. "Ares, what are you doing so far from Greece?" asked Ram-skull as he stood on guard, "Why be so formal? Father or dad goes fine with me." he said comically. "You, have no right to call me your son, you son of a bitch!" yelled Ram-skull, trembling with rage. "I don't think Hera would much like that last remark, she is your grandmother you know." replied Ares, his voice breaking with laughter, Ram-skull prepared to strike, but Ares got the comical look off his face and got an even more serious look on. "I have to warn you, if you swing, I might forget you're my son and hit back. Beware the wrath of an immortal." said Ares, arms uncrossed and completely on guard, he was less monstrous in size compared to Ram-skull, but he was much more experienced in battle and Ares attacked when he was provoked even the least bit, if at all. Ares had a very short temper and mastered every weapon known to man or god. Like most gods he could weald godsfire, a blaze as hot as the sun and used primarily to punish mortals, his was infamous for being blood red and burning viciously. He was darker then Ram-skull in skin-color, but his hair was just as dark, he had a normal sounding voice, yet his eyes where also blank and he enjoyed dressing all in black.

"I fear no immortal, or did you forget the titan?" replied Ram-skull, with a smirk on his face. He of course was referring to a titan sent by Ares and Hades to kill Ram-skull and his army after Ram-skull angered the gods by going on a march for conquest. The titan killed the army of mortals and tried to kill Ram-skull, but to no avail, instead

Ram-skull killed him by ripping out his inter organs. This surprised all the gods of Mt. Olympus and made lots of them change their mind about Ram-skull. "You can only follow the orders of that weasel of a king, or did you forget your situation?" said Aries as he broke into laughter again. "It's because of you I'm in the situation, you killed my mother before I had the chance to do so." he said looking very vicious. "Now in my defense, I killed her all on my own, I didn't know about the deal with Zeus until you told me." Ares said very pompously, "What of the tournament? You knew at the tournament." said Ram-skull, "Okay, you have a right to be mad about the tournament. Don't take it personally, I just don't want no damn monsters in my living space." Said Ares. "I don't take your childish take on this as personal. I take you're constant attempts on my life as personal, I take your trying to keep me from my heritage as personal, and I take you banishing me to fight in an army for the rest of time until I prove my worth to my kin as personal." Replied Ram-skull, looking more enraged then ever. "Come on," said Ares, "how long can you hold a grudge? And for what, because I killed your mother, banished you from Mt. Olympus, and condemned you to fight in an army until you prove your worth? By the way, why did you kill your allies?" he continued, as he spoke he picked up the severed head of one of the soldiers. "For being weak; I killed them all for being weak. Every time I rip a man to shreds I think of you and how absolutely joyful it would be to kill you." said

Ram-skull. "Man you're a creepy and messed up kid," said Ares, "well theirs nothing left to say but this: don't pick a fight with the god of war, for all he leaves is destruction and death." he finished as he took his leave. Ram-skull took one last look at the blood-drenched battlefield and in a fit of rage hit the ground with all his might, shaking the earth viciously for miles around before leaving for a hidden spring that he knew of to wash the blood off his face.

As he entered the spring he remembered the battle he fought the last time he came there. It was exactly thirty years before this and just like before he was only there to enjoy the quiet and serenity of the spring and wash the blood off his face. (The blood never belonged to him, since he is immortal he can't die, let alone bleed.) He took off his helmet, and walked to the pond. As he looked down he sees the monstrous reflection looking back at him. He draws his sword and turns around to find he was all alone. "I got too used to this form." He said to himself as he got a hand full of water and splashed his face to clean it of all the blood. As he looked up and the water dripped down his checks he breathed in slowly to soak in the sublime feel of the spring. As he relaxed he heard the hoot of an owl from behind him. He turned and fired a ball of godsfire to the direction of the sound, to his surprise it was no owl he almost shot, but a beautiful woman in gold armor and a large gold spear dressed in a white robe. It was Athena the goddess of wisdom and war. "Careful, you wouldn't want to anger your number one supporter now would you?" she said in a playful manner. "No I wouldn't my goddess," said Ram-skull, showing a great deal of respect to Athena, one of the only gods that struck him as all right. "What is it with gods visiting me today?" he continued. " Who else came to see you?" she asked

"Just Ares."

"When did you learn to use godsfire?"

"Back before the titan and after the tournament."

"That is very impressive."

"Thank you, you have been nothing but help for the past few hundred years."

"Your very welcome, for a god who is half monster you have very good manners."

"Half monster, raised among humans."

"I see, what is your plan to prove you're worth to Zeus?"

"Zeus? I thought I had to prove my worth to all the gods to go to Olympus?"

"You do, only Ares, Hera, and Zeus are left."

"Really?"

"Yes, you are close to your goal, the closest you have ever been, you need to do something big to convince them."

"I have an idea: I go to war and destroy Emperor Philip and then I destroy King David and his son."

"That is a good idea, and you thought of it without that helmet of yours."

"Yes, it is a good gift you and Hephaestus made for me, the wisdom of Athena in the left, the ability to hear anything on earth in the right."

"I would have thought you would like the swords gift better."

"I will, the first chance I get, I will try it out."

"Well I better go before I draw some unwanted attention."

"Fair well my goddess."

"Fair well Permithicles."

As he walked away from the tranquil peace and quiet of his secret spring he closed his eyes one last time and absorbed the purity of it all. It's hard to believe that a monstrous creature such as he would enjoy being in a place like that. He discovered the spring while he was on his way back to the kingdom of New Riqu. (I'm afraid I forgot to mention that this was the name of King David's kingdom.) Now let me explain Athena, she was tall for a woman, slender, shapely, and had beauty only surpassed by Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty. Her eyes as blue as the sky, her hair was so golden blond you would think it to be fake, and a body that was far beyond perfect. And she was smarter then she is beautiful. She helps Ram-skull when he needs it, as she was somewhat responsible for him being created she feels she has a responsibility toward him.

To be continued in Act II.


	2. Act II

**Act II**

Meanwhile, King David and his son Alex are getting ready to be entertained by some women. A bell rings in the background and the women flutter into formation in some dance from their native country. This erotic dance brings pleasure to King David and his son is somewhat confused about this. "Yes, more…How are you enjoying yourself?" said King David to his son who was somewhat looking at the ground. "Why are these women dancing for us father?" asked Alex. "Simple, their husbands, fathers, and brothers are on death and I said if they did this and a little extra I wouldn't kill them." explained King David. "Well are you?" asked Alex. The king got close to him, "Like I said, I'm not going to kill them." He whispered and he broke out in laughter, then to avoid being on his father's bad side he laughed as well. At that moment a guard came rushing in from the observation window. "King David, King David," he said, "Ram-skull has returned." "Ram-skull. Is he alone?" asked David. "Yes, and he looks to be in a bad mood, I think." Said the guard. "You think, you think. When it's Ram-skull don't think, know." Said the king. All of a sudden the thrown-room doors swing open to reveal the monstrous man known as Ram-skull, red with blood and bits of flesh all over his armor.

This gruesome sight terrified the dancer women that where entertaining David and Alex, they screamed and ran to the far wall by David. Ram-skull didn't feel bad about scaring the women at all; he was beside him-self in laughter. "Yes, run, run as hard as you can, you cannot escape me, fear me you weaklings." He turned to King David and cleared his through. "What went wrong Ram-skull, where are my guards?" asked King David. "Like all weak solders, they died in battle." Said Ram-skull as he looked around and noticed that some of the women are naked. "Where are these women from?" he asked. "They are from a country in Africa, or near it or, who cares, we conquered it and now they dance in exchange for their loved ones lives." He answered; "is it more then dancing?" asked the behemoth Ram-skull. "What do you think? If you must know, then yes." Answered David. At that moment a guard stepped forward and stud up to Ram-skull. "When you address a nobleman you address him by his proper title, you ogre. And just so you know, a true gentleman bathes after being covered in blood and before going to meet his king." There was silence in the room. The king was speechless, and Ram-skull was very mad, the poor guard didn't know what he got him-self into.

Ram-skull grabbed the guard from the throat and lifted him off the ground with a single hand. "Now you better listen, for I will say this once, and only once; no one speaks to me in that tone, least of all you, and I think I have made it painfully clear that I am no gentleman. For that mistake you will now live the rest of your short and miserable existence in a world of pain, as for that remark of me addressing noblemen let me start with you. The dearly departed guard to the king!" he exploded, as he tossed the guard to the other side of the room were he splattered all over the wall. Alex was wide eyed, and the king had somewhat of a stone-face. Ram-skull turned slowly and looked at the women, his rough and not so clean face smiled a sinister smile, "Now," he said, "which one is mine." David looked at him, "What do you want one for?" he asked. "What do you think, I disserve one?" he said, his eye's flashed red, that meant he was very mad. David saw this and gave in quickly. "Okay, okay, you can have that one." He said pointing to a beautiful brown skinned, long straitened black haired woman. "Is that it?" asked Ram-skull. " What else do you want? She is a nice looking woman for a barbarian, okay, her, she is yours as well." Said David pointing to a woman with short and slender body, and short, fine hair and lighter skin.

"This is Joseph, he will lead you and the women to your room." Said David. After Ram-skull left Alex started letting out his astonishment. "Good God almighty, did you see that father? That is no ordinary man. With one hand he sent the guard clear across the room." Said Alex in quick and panicked manner. "I am completely aware of that! When dealing with him you must be as steady as an archer's arm. When he is the way he was now you mustn't let your emotions get the best of you, or you'll end up like the guard, by the way send a golden sword to the widows of the six guards, would you." said David taking three girls with him.

"Ram-skull, this is your new room." Said Joseph. "Does it have a bath?" asked Ram-skull. "Yes, but it has no water in it, but all you have to do is tell the other servants and they will fill it with water." he said not at all nervous which was odd considering he was in the presence of a monster among monsters. "Very well, get me water, 10 buckets of hot 10 of cold. I don't want to go to bed covered in blood." He said, at that moment Joseph stopped, "so that was the smell." He said. Ram-skull noticed he never looked directly at him. "Are you blind?" he asked the servant. "Yes, but I know my way around this old castle that even if I was deaf and mute I'd still know my way around better then most of the guards." Joseph said laughingly.

After his bath he looked at the women, with their legs bound and sitting on the bed. And as he walked over to them, "Do you understand what I say?" he asked. The women didn't under stand and he continued. "I didn't think so. I'm not what people think, I'm not even human, I only look like this because of my godly ability to change my appearance, I'm actually hideous, a monster compared to monsters. I was denied from Mt. Olympus because I'm half monster. My father killed my mother before I had the chance to do it myself; it was part of a deal I had with Zeus to go to my true home. And when I had a chance to win my way up, my father cut me off and steered me away, I entered a tournament in the underworld for dead monsters. I entered because I convinced Zeus this was the way to prove my worth and god-hood, and what did I get? My father entered and stabbed me in the chest attempting to kill me; I'm immortal so all he did was give me this scar on my chest. Now because of that humiliating loss I have to fight in an army for the rest of time until I prove my worth." Said Ram-skull. "Very heart touching, it nearly brat me to tears." Said a voice in the darkness. "Ares, what do you want this time?" Said Ram-skull with his eyes burning red.

"Look." Said Ares while standing in front of one of the women. "She can't see me, so save your breath." Ram-skull stopped and calmed down. "Very well, what do want with me?" he said as he pored himself a glass of wine. This is odd, as he is very bad at holding back his temper. (As you must know from reading up to this point.) "I want you to know that I was thinking the other day about the war with Emperor Philip." Started Ares, rubbing his chin as he usually does when he's thinking of something disturbing. "You can think." Said Ram-skull. "Don't push it! I was thinking to myself 'Ares, it's not fair that one army has a god on their side and the other has none.' And that's when I had an idea." He said, with a big smirk on his face. "What are you saying?" asked Ram-skull, not that he needed to be told, and at this point he knows Ares so well he doesn't need to ask what he's going to do because he already knows. "I'm saying, I will be fighting in Emperor Philip's army, and I will be fighting in the war." As he said this he broke out in laughter. "Oh, I will see you on the battle field my son, may you fight with honor." As Ares started to fade away, Ram-skull then became infuriated. "Ares I will see you in the battle field, I will bring you to your knees and I will make you scream in pain and agony, and I swear to you that this is no idol threat, it is a promise." Roared Ram-skull, not noticing that through the releasing of his rage he let his human form brake. His two dancer women where frozen with fear. In a fit of rage Ram-skull smashed a pillar. "Damn, I hate it when this happens." he said, as he noticed his tail, wings, and part of his arm where exposed. The skin on his body was scaly and brown, his wings were bat-like, and his tail was lizard-like. In the blink of an eye, his deferments were gone. "I got so worked up I need some fun." He continued as he turned to the women, but to his unpleasant surprise they were dead, the pillar he smashed hit the slave girls and smashed their heads. Ram-skull rolled the women in a rug and stepped outside to throw them away. "Hello, Ram-skull is that you?" asked Joseph. "Yes, it's me."

"What are you doing out so late?"

"I'm throwing out my garbage."

"Oh you don't have to do it yourself."

"Yes I do, which way to the moat."

"Down the hall take a left and then a right. Be careful not to fall in, those crocodiles are ruthless."

"I wouldn't worry too much about them." He finished.

As he tossed the two lovely ladies to the moat, he stayed a while to see the mammoth creatures feast upon the women, and remembered how, long ago, he was almost the same as them. He was feared, Permithicles, which was his real name. The Greeks called him the Ram-skull, for he had the tail of a crocodile, the wings of a bat, the strength of ten men, a hide which no arrow or spear can pierce, the skull of a ram for a head, his tong was serpent-like and he breathed fire that could melt metal. He always had some would be hero try and kill him. He began going after his goal of being on Mt. Olympus and stopped terrorizing humans for sport. He found later that some man called Lummus of Ithaca took the credit for killing him. He retaliated by kidnapping him and fighting him man to monster, after killing him, Ram-skull spread his blood all over the city that treated him like a king.

The day they where to go and fight Ram-skull and David where to give a speech to inspire the men to fight the best they can. King David dressed his best, and got on a platform to speak to them. "My people, my men, my brothers, we have defeated him once before, let us win again!" said King David in a loud and encouraging voice. He turned to

Ram-skull and walked up to him, "It's your turn." He said in a way that almost dared him to try and do better. Ram-skull got to the platform and spoke in a loud and angry voice, "Soldiers in King David's army, listen to me, emperor Philip has defeated our allies one-by-one, now he is trying to take our land, pillage our food, and rape our women! Will we let him do that?" he said. "No!" replied the men in loud and angry yells. "Are we going to fight!" asked Ram-skull. "Yes!" Yelled the men, now eager to fight. "Hail King David! Hail King David!" they yelled as they marched to war. "Get ready men, today we defeat the enemy for the good of our kingdom." Said Ram-skull, as he led the men to battle. The army went to where the action was…Philip's palace.

After the speech, King David had a chat with his son. "Father, did you hear

Ram-skull's speech? It was amazing!" said Alex with enthusiasm. "Something didn't sit well with me." Said King David.

"Like what, father?"

"In his speech, he said 'our land' didn't you find it queer?"

"Not really, why?"

"If he uses the word 'our' that would mean he considers himself a citizen of our kingdom, even though he isn't. But why?"

"Maybe because he's the commanding general of your armies."

"By god, if he wins this war the people will see him as an icon, an icon for a bigger role!"

"What do you mean father?"

"Simple son, he is trying to overthrow me as king." After saying that David realized the severity of his situation. "My God, how can I stop a demon like that!"

"You can set the guards on him."

"Didn't you see what he did to the guard? He picked him up with one hand and across the room like a tiny rock! I know, I'll hide, he can't kill me if I hide."

"Father, be calm, you're the king, have some dignity."

"Wait, no I'm not, you are, as of now your king and I am royal adviser."

"Father you are being paranoid. Ram-skull is not trying to overthrow you."

"Maybe your right. Fine, I will stay king and have all my guards notified that Ram-skull is to be killed on sight just as a precaution."

"That's good to hear father." Said Alex as he left. Coming in the opposite direction was a nineteen-year-old girl who wasn't very pretty or very ugly; she was just normal.

"Father?" she said.

"Oh god. Angelica I presume?"

"Yes father, I want you to know that I forgive you for not taking responsibility for me, I want t be part of your family now."

"Look, I already have a daughter and she is part of my family, you are just a beggars child looking for a hand out, now leave me before I have a guard rend your head from you shoulders."

"I have a son, he's no more then ten, please I—"

"Silence, you are nothing and your son is less then nothing, now get out before I take your life from you myself!"

Ram-skull and the army were prepared for battle, but its different this time. Ares himself, the god of war was to fight and Ram-skull grew anxious. "When is that damn army going to be here?" asked Ram-skull. "You're being impatient sir, that's not like you." Said a soldier on the frontline. "Of course he's impatient, we all want to get this war over with, am I right?" said a soldier right next to them, "The solder I let live seems to have done his duty and told the rest of the army to return to the palace." Said

Ram-skull. "Men get moving, we have to get to Phillips palace before we die of boredom." With that said, him and his army marched for three days, only stopping for sleep, until the emperors palace was in sight. They rested for one final day and the next morning they attacked. "Men, now is the time we have been waiting for. Now let us charge!" yelled Ram-skull as they charged the opposing army and started to fight. Something was odd, Ram-skull, son of the god of war and the mother of all monsters Ekidne, the killer of countless people, was watching instead of fighting. He was looking, looking for a soldier that fought better then any of the other soldiers. He was looking for Ares. It seemed that he wasn't there. Ram-skull was disappointed, he dreamed of this moment most of his life and he didn't get his wish. It didn't take long for him to change his mood from disappointed to angry. He took his helmet off and did something he didn't do in thirty years; he changed to his true form.

He looked up at the sky and let out a tremendous deafening horrid roar. All eyes turned to Ram-skull, all ears were covered, and all fighting stopped dead in its tracks. His roar seemed to never end. He then grew ten stories tall, his body became enormous, his nails turned to giant razor sharp claws, his teeth became large equally sharp fangs, and his black hair turned to white fur. His back sprouted large bat-like wings that were ten times the size of his body, he grew a large reptilian tail, his pail skin was mud brown, his head became a ram's skull and his roar stopped. He then gave another roar, this one was deeper and louder then the first. The men on the battle field knew no other reaction other then their natural one…fear. As soon as the first roar ended they ran in every direction. Ram-skull took flight and attacked the two armies. He breathed out fire and burned the men to ashes; he swooped down and bit twenty men at a time right in half. He landed and killed ten men at a time with a swipe of his hand. He pounded the ground and knocked the men off their feet, then he would roll on his back and crushed them into ground meat. After he quickly did away with the two armies he destroyed the city in which his palace was located. When he got to the palace he saw Philip and stomped on him with a mighty foot, after that he burned the city to the ground.

Something was amiss; Ares wasn't there. The only reason Ram-skull wanted to kill Philip was to get his revenge on his father, but all he got was a blood bath and another lost cause. He returned to King David's palace that same evening expecting to receive a heroes welcome as always but instead when he got to the cities gates the guards tried to kill him. Thirty guards, with swords, maces, bows & arrows, sledges, spears and axes, all attacking Ram-skull at once. "You picked the wrong day to try David!" said Ram-skull as he drew his sword. He charged and hacked with his sword, killing nine or more men. The men with the spears tossed them but missed every one. The archers launched their arrows trying to hit him, but he is quick and cannot be hit. Slicing the guards into chunks one by one is an easy task for Ram-skull, it's not long before there are no guards left alive.

Ram-skull looked at the gatekeeper, "You, open the gate or I will smash it down." He said.

"I cannot, I will not permit you to harm innocent people."

"If you don't let me in I will eat your eyes like candy!"

"No, even if you kill me I will not open this gate for you."

"You're a brave man, I respect that. If I promise you I wont kill any innocent people will you let me in?"

"Who do you consider not innocent?"

"The king and his guards."

"Okay, I'll let you in under those conditions."

After being let in Ram-skull let the people out, they fled the city with tremendous numbers, to be labeled cowards rather them being killed at the hands of Ram-skull. He then reached the palace to see King David and Alex on the top tower. The gate to the castle then started to rise, keeping him out, or so it seemed. The only mortal way in was to cross the moat, and that was the most unpleasant part of the palace, the moat was murky, so black that it didn't even shimmer when the light touched it, and the crocodiles in the bottom were perfectly concealed until they attacked. They where big, even for crocodiles, that's because David and his men feed them the dead every day, if you remember correctly so did Ram-skull at one point. The guards grew confident that he wasn't coming any closer then that. David, safe at the top of the castle started to gloat, "Ha, do you see savage, you cannot come in!" he said high above the ground.

Ram-skull put on a stone face, but was laughing his head off, he was thinking _what an idiot, I have him just where I want him._ As he was thinking the people of the city of New Riqu were waiting outside the city gates to see the final outcome of the conflict. This was going to decide whether they were going to live the rest of their lives in tyrannous oppression or whatever type of rule Ram-skull had in store. Ram-skull actually didn't think what to do after he finished killing; all he did most of his life was kill, fight, and demand respect from all he came across. He was more of a dictator then a king, and even if he wanted to keep a kingdom, it would just anger the gods like it did when he tried to rule the known earth with an army trained by him. The gods sent the monster Typhon and the titan Cronus to destroy the army and kill Ram-skull, for a titan is the only thing that can kill a god, the titan Cronus was killed by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, while Typhon was killed by Zeus when he dropped Mt. Olympus on him. The gods feared Typhon because he was as big and strong as a titan, when he passed by Mt. Olympus in the old days the gods would hide in a cave until he was gone. Cronus was father to the gods and king of the titans; it took all three of his sons to kill him. Ram-skull killed Typhon by splitting his head in half, and killed Cronus by ripping out his intestines. This got Ram-skull a lot of respect in Mt. Olympus as well as opened the eyes of Ares to how strong his son truly was.

After Ram-skull heard their whispers and remembered old fights he dove in the moat and all fell silent, with the exception of the hissing crocodiles in the bottom. After only a minute there was movement and Ram-skull came out of the water with two crocodile heads in his hands. He climbed up the moat and the guards where in awe as to how he was not only alive, but also how he wasn't dying from the disease coming from the very, very dirty water. When he got to the gates he dropped the heads and looked strait ahead, his eyes were a blazing red, as was the sky above.

He stuck his fingers in the gate and ripped the wood apart, making a doorway big enough for him. As he did this the guards stud still, backing up as he moved even the slightest. He put a hand on each side of the doorway and pulled the gate off its hinges, this gate was roughly the size of a windmill and he picked it up and tossed it to the other side of the moat. "The only way out now are the crocodiles or the sharp edge of my sword." Said Ram-skull, sword drawn and marching down the hall. "That's not human." Said the guard nearest to Ram-skull, "No shit!" He said as he cut him in half with his sword. After that he put his sword away and fought the rest of the guards completely unarmed. He crushed their heads as they came two at a time and the number growing by the minute. He grabbed a guard's face and pulled that poor man's skin and armor off with a quick motion, his blood spraying everywhere. He lifted a guard by his leg and beat the others with him as if the man were a club. He did this until the guard was no more then a leg. He then went back to crushing their bodies with his bear hands. When he got to the top balcony the door was sealed with a steal door. "David, you son of a bitch. I will wash my hands in a fountain of your blue blood!" yelled Ram-skull, a guard came from behind him and tried to stab him with his long sword. This time was different then last time, he actually got the sword in him, unfortunately it was in Ram-skulls mouth, he bite on to the side of the blade and broke it off. Then he slammed the guard into the steel door until it gave way.

When Ram-skull came in David gave a shrill girlish scream, and then he tossed the crown to Alex and ran to a corner, "please don't kill me! Alex is the king, KILL HIM!" he said. Ram-skull inched closer to David with his eyes fixed on the king's head. In the meantime Alex was right behind him and with sword in hand was ready to land a swing that he thought would end this blood bath. Ram-skull unsuspectingly slapped the sword from his hands and threw poor Alex to the other side of the thrown room. "Doesn't that look like a familiar sight?" said Ram-skull, who was referring to the guard that he smashed. "Now that I have your full attention, what punishment would fit the crime? There are so many delightful ways to brutally kill you I can only imagine where to start. I feel like I just got the first pick of the spoils." He continued, as he rubbed his rough chin.

"HELP, HELP!"

"That's right, scream, I'll join you; HELP HIM, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS, HE NEEDS HELP! No one can hear you, the entire kingdom is outside the city walls, no one can hear you beg for your life, crying shame. What the hell are you waiting for, CRY!"

"Please don't--"

"Kill you? No matter how many times I've heard that I never tire of it, the problem is that there is so much I can do to do that I can't decide. I can push in your ribs so they pierce your lungs and you struggle to breath for about ten minutes, I can slice you stomach wide open and watch you moan in pain as your intestines unravel to the ground. I can rip your arms and legs off and watch your torso flop around and you bleed to death. I can cut you to hair-thin slices and hear your horrid screams until you let pain overcome you and death finally takes you. I can whip you with a chain and break every little pathetic bone in your body until I tier of the noises you make."

"Please don't, I'll do anything you want, money, women, food, your own kingdom, a palace ten times bigger then this one, just one word and its yours."

"You cannot help me in the wish department, the only thing you can give me is the satisfaction of killing you the worst way imaginable."

"I can name a holiday after you, _Ram-skull day_ that has a ring to it, doesn't it?"

"No."

"I can have thirty statues and memorials fashioned in your image, I can put you in hundreds of stories where you are the hero and always save the kingdom with your awesome wit and strength."

"No."

"I can have you immortalized by naming the city after you.

_Ram-skull wood_. Doesn't that sound great?"

"I have no need to be immortalized."

"Why not?"

"I already am."

"PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!"

"Anything you say? All I want you to do is die." Said Ram-skull as he put David on a couple of hooks used to hold a golden spear David had as a trophy. David screamed in pain and tried as hard as he could to escape, but the more he moved the worse it hurt. "I'd wager that hurts." Said Ram-skull breaking into laughter. At this time David remembered his brothers words that burned in his soul. His brother said that he would be begging for his life and no one would hear him.

"I've got it!" said Ram-skull as he walked to the table near by. "DEAR GOD! THEIRS MORE!" shouted David. "This is going to be the perfect punishment." Said Ram-skull. He leaned down and lifted the large solid stone table then turning to David, he then stud it up parallel to the wall David was pinned up on. "I am going to enjoy this, every…little…bit." He said checking the straight edge of table. "What are you doing, stop, please!" pleaded David, his voice was horse from his screams of bloody murder, his body numb with pain from the hooks in his armpits. "Oh, stop all that, it can't be all that painful?" said Ram-skull as he got hold of David's leg and gave him a big jerk, sticking the hooks even deeper in him, tearing his flesh. David screamed a horrifying scream of pain. "I guess it does." Said Ram-skull.

"Do you know what I'm going to do?" he continued.

"I know your going to kill me, I just don't know how." David's voice was weak due to the loss of blood and all the screaming he did while Ram-skull was torturing him. "You are taking all the fun out of this, did you know that?"

"Good, I hope the rest of your killing is this boring to you."

"Shut up, the only _boring_ that involves you is the _boring_ of the hooks in your flesh." Said Ram-skull, giving David's leg another yank. David screamed again, his blood covered the floor like a red blanket over a mattress. "I came here to kill you and claim something that rightfully belongs to me, but as I worked for you these past few days I just realized that the way I have been going at this is not exactly the way I should have gone by it."

"W-w-w-what are you…w-w-what are…w-what…what are you talking about…

R-r-ram-skull?"

"You are a pathetic little man and killing you hasn't given me the joy that I originally thought it would. Look at you, you're a shell of a man who used to kill for sport and became drunk on the little power you were given, it's hardly worth killing you anymore." Said Ram-skull, as he turned from him, just as David sighed in relief Ram-skull turned his head, "Hardly, but it's still worth it." With that said Ram-skull kicked the table into David, smashing him beyond recognition and killing him before he could even scream.

Far away, very far away from there, high above him, Ram-skull was unaware of the fact that he was, not only being watched, but judged as well by the king of the gods, Zeus. "Look at you Permithicles, bathed in royal blood and filled with hate & rage. You're becoming just like your father and I'm afraid that won't do at all." Said Zeus, looking down on his grandsons recent actions, "Maybe Ares is right in thinking you shouldn't be aloud up here, ever?" at that moment a soft-spoken voice behind him interrupted his time alone to reflect on the situation with Ram-skull. "Now father, don't underestimate Permithicles' deeds, they may have more purpose then just violence."

"Athena, don't sneak up on me like that, you almost ended up with a mouth full of thunderbolt."

"I'll try to remember that next time."

"Do you think it wise to let Permithicles in Mt. Olympus?"

"With all dew respect, what I think doesn't mean a damn thing, the only thing that matters it what you think. It is your decision."

"It's a hard one."

"If it helps, the other gods are behind him."

"Other gods, which ones? Why?"

"Aphrodite, because he is somewhat good looking in his human form. Apollo because he always greets him. Hades, because he supplies him with plenty of souls. Poseidon, because he is kind to the sea, and even Hephaestus took a liking to him enough to make him his sword."

"Really he usually has a hard time with people."

"There are more to that list if you want to hear them."

"No I have the concept quite understood. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise us."

"Yeah maybe."

"Do you know something I don't?"

"I guess you'll have to see for yourself."

To be continued in Act III

30


	3. Act III

**Act III**

Back at the castle, Ram-skull then found him-self in an empty room thinking what to do with the villagers.

_All the kings' men are dead as is the king and his son; I made sure of that. This means that he has no more kinsmen to carry on the weight of the crown. But the people, what am I to do about the people. I've killed enough for one day, which makes them the luckiest people alive. They are weak, they need guidance, and they need leadership. The question is should I let them chouse or should I chouse for them? If I let them chouse thy will most likely pick another tyrant to rule over them. I will do it for them, and then it is back to the road._

When he made up his mind he walked to the gate, jumped over the moat and looked for the townspeople. "At long last." He said as he drew his sword. He had found the townspeople, and they where scared out of their wits. People ran as far as they could from him. The gatekeeper then stepped forward and tried to talk to the warrior, in comparison to Ram-skull the Gatekeeper was a dwarf. He was a little old man with a long beard and a bent back; he couldn't even walk right without a walking stick. "You said you wouldn't hurt anyone." He said pleading with the blank eyed man. "I wont, I want to help."

"Is this some kind of trick?"

"No, I really mean it."

"Very well, but don't expect everyone to approve."

Ram-skull stud there as the people inched nervously closer. Out of fear one man screamed out, "Please don't kill us." Ram-skull just looked at his direction, "Don't tempt me, I have come to help you pick a new leader, I want all the men to step forward." Said Ram-skull; no one moved a single limb. He got impatient, "NOW!" he yelled loud enough to make everybody jump at once. Then without wasting a moment all the men rushed to him, roughly eight thousand went by his side. "This last part is optional, only do what I say next if you want to; grab my sword." He continued. Out of that large amount of men only fifteen went up and grabbed the sword.

Ram-skull got one man by his arm and pulled him next to him. "Who is bleeding?" Asked Ram-skull as the other fourteen of those men showed their open hands with cuts from the blade. Their cuts were pretty deep, and only the man that Ram-skull got a hold of wasn't bleeding. "Those of you who kept their distance were smart but not brave, those of you who grabbed my blade were brave not smart. Only this one had the common knowledge to grab the sword by the handle." He said. "Young one, what is your name?" he continued. "My name is--"

"Never mind, I don't care. Maybe you should rename this city-state; New Riqu is a name stained with blood. Maybe something with, I don't know you figure it out. Just don't forget this; I will be back and if you, or any of your kin perform evil deeds while in power, I will not be back happy." With that said, he turned away from the New Kingdom and as he left he could feel that the people of the New Kingdom had a kind of quiet respect for him.

Atop Mt. Olympus Zeus and Ares looked at Ram-skull. "Ares where were you?"

"I was in Hades, as god of war is my responsibility to make sure none of the warrior souls go unaccounted for. What did I miss?"

"You missed quite the spectacle I'm afraid. Permithicles destroyed the two armies of the fuddling kingdoms."

"Yes, that sounds like my son to me."

"That's not the half of it, he also killed the two leaders and crowned a new king, then left New Riqu virtually untouched."

"Wow, now that I didn't expect."

"Yes, he truly has proven his worth."

"WHAT?"

"Something wrong?"

"Hell yeah, father you have to let me do this, you have to let me fight Permithicles for his final test of worth."

"Ares, how much longer must you fight against the fact that Permithicles is a god, and he belongs with his own kind."

"As long as it takes."

"Oh very well then, but I see no point in it."

"I do," said Athena. "It's because Ares and Permithicles are the same in power and Ares feels intimidated," she continued as she put a finger on his chest. "Your such a child." she finished. "Me, intimidated, you're not as smart as you think. Do you know whom your talking to! I am Ares, Mars, god of warfare and killer of millions upon millions of mortal men, and billions more to come!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "I'll show you who's intimidated; and I'm not the only one who thinks Permithicles shouldn't be here, Hera thinks so to."

"Oh son, I love the women but nobody likes her or cares about here opinion, Hercules likes him." Said Zeus. "Hercules, he's been a thorn in my side since the day he came here. I'm out of here, I got a fight to win." Said Ares as he flashes out of there in the blink of an eye. "Your right Athena," said Zeus, "they are alike." Athena got angered, "did you hear what he said, he said I'm not as smart as I think. Now I hope Permithicles uses that sword of his to stab Ares and use that special ability of it."

"You know something I don't, what is it."

"It's a secret."

Ram-skull walks along the mountain pass with an unsatisfied look on his face. "Amazing!" said a voice right behind him. "Outstanding!" it said again, the voice was a voice Ram-skull would have jumped at the opportunity of striking to death, a voice that played in his mind over and over again. It was a voice he grew to hate, he grew to loath, in fact those words are to light and delicate to explain his emotion toward this voice. "Simply marvelous, wow, you astonished even me Permithicles, and you're turning some heads up there." It continued egging Ram-skull on. "What do you want Ares?" said

Ram-skull, this meeting was odd, every time he and Ram-skull met, Ram-skull would always be short of two seconds from splitting Ares in two with his sword. This time however he didn't even put up his guard. "I just wanted to let you know that Zeus was surprised at what you did after you killed David, usually you'd kill everyone, but today you chouse a different path, I'm shocked, I truly am."

"Do you know what happened to me today?"

"Not especially, no."

"I disbanded two kingdoms single handedly, I created a New Kingdom out of the old, and I ruthlessly murdered their king and emperor without a second thought. It didn't get to me until I was torturing King David, but what I have been doing for the past few hundred years, I have been going at it all wrong. I let myself play by your rules long enough. I will no longer serve in any army, I will not hide my identity from any mere mortal other then the ones I think don't deserve to know. I will no longer be the tame respectful, fair Permithicles you have grown accustom to, from now on I will let only Vengeance fuel my very soul until the day finally comes where I can beat your body into the ground. I will not let any mortal army get in my way. When I transformed at emperor Philips Palace, I had never been so disappointed in my centuries of life." Ram-skull then removed his helmet and dropped it to the ground. "I'm tired, Ares. I'm tired of trying to be accepted by a group of people who I hardly know anything about. I'm tired of taking the lives of mortal men time and time again, not that I'm saying I didn't enjoy myself. I'm tired of coming so close to my goal just to have you cut me off. I'm tired of if all. I don't care anymore, I don't care if I go to Mt. Olympus or not, the only thing I give a damn about is if I bring you to the ground, that you scream a painful, blood boiling scream that would scare even the Titans."

"Damn, what in the hell did I do to mess you up this bad? Well, that's too bad, 'cause here I was with a once in a lifetime offer. Fight one god of war and go to Mt. Olympus free of charge."

"What if I lose?"

"If and when you lose, you will be banished to earth forever. This is it. This is all or nothing, your last and only chance. So with that being said, shall we dance?" as he finished, Ares drew his sword slowly and steadily. The sun gleamed off of it like a diamond in the candlelight. "LETS!" exploded Ram-skull who drew his sword so fast that sparks flew from his holder that was now cut in half from the sheer force of the motion. Ram-skull stood there, all his muscles flexed and his eye shown a deep red that was as bright as the sun itself. Ares was standing still and calm as if he was in a normal fight with whichever human. All of time stood still and quiet, as the two gods got ready for the fight of the century.

The two gods charged at each other and swung their swords with devastating force. The sparks flew as the blades crashed against one another. It was clear both gods were giving it there all, striking with all their might, the force was so great the very ground they stood on gave way to their mighty blows. The two warriors got hold of each other and were face to face for the first time in hundreds of years. They grabbed each other by the arm; their swords touched and left enough space for them to see each other's faces. Ram-skull with his eyes blazing that eerie red glow they have when he gets mad looked at his 'father' with the deepest hate any one can possibly have toward anything. Ares had just a glance at this look and a smile came across his face. After he smiled

Ram-skull gave a powerful head-butt to him, sending the god of war twenty feet away. "Damn, that hurt! You've been working out." Said Ares, Shaking the cobwebs from the tremendous strike from Ram-skull. "A normal sword would have shattered after the first swing." He continued as he goes up to his feet, putting up his sword, which had not one mark on it. "It's a good sword," said Ram-skull, putting his sword up, as well, it also had not a single mark on it. "Hephaestus made it for me." Ram-skull continued.

"Hephaestus, the blacksmith god? Why would he make you a sword?"

"He made me a sword because he hates you, and you flirt with his wife too much."

"Yeah well, she's as loose as a rope and twice as limber. He made my sword also." Said the god of war as he swung with all his might.

As they swung and their swords collided, they slipped out of their hands and flew opposite directions. Ares' sword was driven into the ground fifty yards away.

Ram-skull's sword was driven into the mountain; Ram-skull and Ares looked at their swords and then at each other, for a brief moment they thought the fight was over, when in fact it had only just begun. They each saw the other off guard, they each thought to steal this rare opportunity for their own and they both failed and succeeded at the same time. They punched each other at the same time, as they flew they got hold of each others left arms in mid-air and pulled each other to one another just to repeat the process until they did this five times. Ram-skull blocked Ares' sixth attempt and gave him a backhand smack, knocking him off the ground and senseless giving Ram-skull an opportunity he would enjoy. As Ares flew back Ram-skull kept a vice-grip on the god of war's arm and pulled him back for another strike, as Ares came in the first time he got an immense boot in the stomach. The second time he got elbowed in the face with Ram-skull's armored arm. The third he got kneed in the groin. The fourth time he got a golden ball of light launched in his shoulder, that sent Ares cling halfway to the mountain. Ares got up; the armor on his shoulder was burned and damaged. That, on the other hand, was not the interesting part; Ares had a look that Ram-skull had never seen on his face before, pain. He finally managed to hurt Ares very bad. The god of war arose, "you can weald Godsfire?" moaned Ares, clutching his shoulder in pain. "I do more then weald it, I master it!" said Ram-skull confidently as he launched a barrage of the fiery element at Ares, sending him back to the mountain.

Ram-skull walked up to Ares and as he did he saw a large tree that stood right by Ares. Ram-skull grabbed it and pulled it out of the ground, roots and all. "This has been a long time coming." Said Ram-skull as he smashed the tree over the body of Ares, breaking a big section of the tree into splinters and then he moved on to another section, this went on until there was nothing but splinters left. Ram-skull then knelt down next to Ares and started to pound him into the ground. Ares grabbed Ram-skulls last punch and punched back as hard as he could, sending Ram-skull flying and pulled Ares to his feet. "It's my turn now!" shouted the enraged Ares, now swinging Ram-skull into the mountain. Ram-skull planted his feet on the ground and swings Ares to the mountain. Ares then planted his feet in the mountainside and grabs hold of Ram-skull's sword for support to swing Ram-skull into the mountain above him, then below, and then he landed on the ground and swung Ram-skull to the ground. Ares mounted Ram-skull and started to pound on the monster's stomach and chest, never before has

Ram-skull or Ares fought like this with anyone.

Ram-skull made a doubled-up fist and catapulted Ares off him, headfirst into the mountain, again. He fell on his back; Ram-skull got to his feet, walked to where Ares was, and started to strangle him. Ares then began to sink into the ground from the pressure Ram-skull put on him. Ares was then dragged in the ground and up the mountain then back to his original position. "You're losing your touch old man!" hissed Ram-skull, putting more pressure on Ares' neck. "Maybe, but I'm twice the god you'll ever be." Said Ares and he pushed Ram-skull off him with one hand and shot him with a tremendous fireball that hit his 'son' in the chest, sending him back to the start of the fight. As he rose his chest was burned and the armor was tattered, black and burned. "Now you'll feel real Godsfire!" shouted Ares, as he got up steadily. Ares launched a ball of Godsfire that sent Ram-skull high in the air, then he shoat another one that sent Ram-skull back to Earth.

A flash of light coming from Ares sent him over Ram-skull. A smile came over Ares's face; he shot numerous Godsfire balls into Ram-skull's back. When he was finished, Ram-skulls armor was completely burned off his body. He picked Ram-skull up by his hair and started to shake him back and forth humiliating him, "Permithicles, you should be proud of yourself. Not many gods, let alone an imbrued thing like you, can go one-on-one with the god of war, me, the way you did, but I'm afraid it's too little, too late. I guess you will never know what it's like to win against a god, I guess that's a matter of willpower, huh?" said Ares, letting go of Ram-skull's hair and letting him hit the ground.

As Ram-skull hit the ground he was given a second fire of inspiration, his eyes as red as ever and his anger as pure as a newborn baby's soul. "NO!" he exploded, with as much strength as he could spare, as if making sure all the gods of Mt. Olympus could hear his terrible voice. "As long as I have the WILLPOWER to go on, it will never be too late! It is about time you realize that I'm not just a god amongst monsters, I am a monster amongst gods!" after saying this he then changed into the enormous monster known only as the infamous Demon of the red sky its self, Ram-skull.

The fierce beast was standing in front of Ares, but the god of war didn't fear, he didn't move he didn't flinch, he didn't even look troubled. "Is that all? Come on, I know your desperate but this is just plane sad." Said Ares as he shot godsfire at Ram-skull, but the monster blocked it. He blocked the godsfire by slapping it out of the way, Ares shot another one, and Ram-skull slapped that one as well. Ares put his hands together to shoot a very powerful godsfire ball and Ram-skull merle caught it, grabbed hold of the god of war, and smothered it into Ares' body, leaving a big burn on the god of wars chest. The monstrous god then started to beat Ares with large doubled up fists and pounded him into the ground. BLAM, BLAM, BLAM; the tremendous thumps echoed throughout the mountainside. After about ten minutes Ares was one foot in the ground and Ram-skull let out a roar. With every second he changed into the black haired pail skinned man we have grown accustom to reading. Ram-skull stepped on Ares' stomach, "I guess it is true," said ram-skull as he raises his hand and the sword flew out of the mountain and into his hand, "like father like son." He continued as he thrusted the blade into Ares' chest.

Ares screamed in pain, Ram-skull sat on a large rock near by. "This sword is a good sword. Hephaestus gave my sword a special little affect, if you are to be so unfortunate as to be stabbed by the sword. You will experience all the deaths of the people killed by my sword, and as long as the sword stabs you, you will feel as weak as a dying mortal. I imagine that must hurt." Said Ram-skull laughing out loud in victory. As soon as he started the old gatekeeper came walking passed. "Now what is all the commotion about?" said the old man. "What business is it of yours?"

"Do you always answer with a question?"

"Do you?"

"Ha, ha, ha. This has been absolutely delightful Permithicles but I must end your fun."

"What, how do you know my real name?"

"Isn't it clear to you? Maybe not, you are your father's son after all. He isn't known to be exceptionally bright."

After this Ram-skull pulled the sword from Ares' chest and stood on guard. Ares rolled on the ground holding his wound, "son of a bitch, that hurt!" he said. "What do you want old man, exactly who are you?" said Ram-skull, at last a flash of lightning struck down, "Behold Permithicles I am Zeus, god of thunder, lightning, the sky and king of all gods." Said Zeus, shedding his form of man. "Stand down Permithicles I am not here to fight." He continued as he walked up to Ram-skull and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No father, the fight isn't over yet." Said Ares as he struggled to his knees. "No, the fight is over, you lose Ares." Said Zeus as he turned from Ares. "Permithicles, you have been away from your family far too long." He continued, as a flash of light took them to a palace above the clouds. "Welcome to Mt. Olympus." Said a familiar voice. Ram-skull just took but a look and surly there was Athena. "Hello my goddess, it looks that I have finally made it here." Said the monstrous god. "Yes and I helped you every chance I could. My heart rejoices with your victory over my annoying brother." She said. "You helped him? You cold-hearted bitch! He stabbed me!" said Ares. "Enough, Permithicles, it is time for you to chose a domain. What will it be." Said Zeus, using his thunderous voice. "I don't know. I never really gave it much thought to tell you the truth. I have only known one thing all my life, so I will do as I have always done. I will be god of chaos." He continued, and for about twenty years on end they said that if you listened very closely by Mt. Olympus you could hear the roar of his voice say over and over, "I am Permithicles, god of chaos!"

Many, many years later in the late years of the French revolution, "I told you I want the court bribed to sentence him to death, he knows too much about me so I want him dead." Said Duke Arthur de Lion. "Yes sir, but what of the alibis?" said a servant of his. "Have them killed also. Do I have to think of everything?" said the Duke. The servant bowed as he left. "Mr. Lion," said another servant of his looking in the opposite direction. "Lamos, I'm over here." Said the Duke.

"The name is Laml, Joseph Laml Rusk."

"Yes well, your job is hanging by a thread as it is. Imagine me hiring a blind man, I must be mad."

"Why are you treating the people so badly?"

"Laml Rusk, is it? I think you should not interfere in things that are none of your concern!"

"But sir, didn't I hear correctly in your family's history? That if you rule unjustly some monster would punish you?"

"Oh, you're referring to 'Ram-skull', it's a myth, I have nothing to fear from him. Close the door, Joseph"

"What makes you say that?"

"If 'Ram-skull' where real, don't you think he would have done something after I poisoned my father?"

"May be he was waiting for the right time to strike, you pasty, white little bastard." Said Laml, as a layer of pitch-black smoke surrounded him. "How dare you talk to me that way." Said the Duke, as he reached for a string that rang a bell that told the servants to go to his room, but as quickly as he could blink a sword flew from the smoke and cut the string. "No one can save you now, Arthur, you are my property. I should have known that you where a descendent of David, why didn't I kill his daughters children, I must have been too merciful." Said a voice coming from the smoke, a deep and raspy voice. "Laml?" asked the Duke. "There never was a Laml Rusk," said the voice, as the smoke began to clear. "I am Ram-skull, and you are dead." He continued as he stepped from the smoke and grasped his mighty sword. "No, you're a myth." said the Duke. "Every lie has some truth to it." Said Ram-skull as he swung and split the Duke in two half's, right down the middle, from head to toe.

Started: May 1, 2003.Finished: June 2, 2004.


End file.
